BALTIMORE — Winning four of your first five games is usually an awfully good way to start a season.

The Baltimore Ravens improved to 4-1 on the season with a 31-17 win over the Denver Broncos (2-3) Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. The 4-1 record leaves the Ravens alone at the top of the AFC North, with a tie-breaker win over their rival Pittsburgh Steelers already in hand.

When the Maryland Terrapins beat the Duke Blue Devils to improve to 4-1 on October 2, I wrote a post-game column saying the Terrapins’ record may well be “deceptive.” I pointed out that the Terps had not played a particularly imposing schedule, that they had played the majority of their games at home, and that they had relied on semi-fluky big plays to find success in games they had won. I tried to point out that the team had indeed won four of their first five games, but didn’t strike me as a team that was worth getting particularly excited about.

On the absolute opposite side of the spectrum, the Ravens’ 4-1 record is not deceptive whatsoever. The team not exactly been perfect over their first five games, but they’ve been particularly representative of the 4-1 record they sport.

They’ve won when QB Joe Flacco has been less than perfect (the Week 1 win over the New York Jets at the Meadowlands), they’ve won when they’ve failed to get much of anything going running the ball (like the Week 4 win over the Steelers at Heinz Field), they’ve won when their proud run defense has been gauged (Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns in Charm City) and they’ve won when they’ve given up big yards to an explosive passing attack (Sunday against the Broncos).

In playing five games, they’ve probably deserved to win four.

On Sunday, the Ravens showed any doubters why they belong amongst the elite teams in the AFC and the entire NFL. They set the pace for the game offensively, with their defensive and special teams units following suit. When all was said and done, the Ravens had outgained their opponents on the ground by a count of 233 yards to 39; claimed 28 first downs to Denver’s 16, and held the ball for nearly 13 minutes more than their opponent.

A late Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd TD strike made the final score look respectable, but it was an absolutely dominant performance.

A dominant performance that came on the heels of a grueling four game stretch to open the season where the Ravens had to play three games on the road and three games against fellow AFC North opponents. After that stretch and Sunday’s game, the Ravens have earned every bit of their 4-1 record; a record that ties them for the best record in the league.

Head Coach John Harbaugh wasn’t quite ready to proclaim his team’s greatness following Sunday’s game, but was particularly optimistic. “I think we have an opportunity to be a really good team” said Harbaugh. “That kind of a football team is in us. We wanted to play like that (Sunday). I think in many ways we did.”

Other members of the team were equally optimistic. LB Ray Lewis said the start was a “good feeling”, adding that the Ravens are “just playing overall complete team football right now.” Flacco said “we feel like we’ve got a pretty special team here, and we’ve just got to continue to work hard to get better each week.”

After putting together his first 100 yard rushing game of the season (he finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns), Rice was asked whether the Ravens were an “elite” team. He had a unique response.

“I think we’re a balanced team.”

Maybe that’s the best possible way to explain it.

The Ravens are a good football team in almost every area right now. While not perfect, Flacco has played very well over the last three weeks-including his first big final minute drive to beat the Steelers. Rice, backup RB Willis McGahee and FB Le’Ron McClain have shown themselves to be formidable even when not necessarily explosive, with McGahee adding 10 carries, 67 yards and a touchdown in limited action Sunday. The WR corps has not given the Ravens the explosive numbers some fans had hoped for, but Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, TJ Houshmandzadeh and TE Todd Heap have all stood out in different games or at different times. Even rookie TE Ed Dickson led the Ravens in receiving yards Sunday, although all of his came on a single 58 yard grab on the Ravens’ opening possession.

The Offensive Line has come together despite playing without standout tackle Jared Gaither. The defensive line has held together through bumps and bruises and the departure of Trevor Pryce. DT Haloti Ngata was fairly described by Harbaugh last week as “playing as well as any defensive player in the league.” The linebacking corps has allowed just one 100 yard rusher (Peyton Hillis in the aforementioned Cleveland game) and the secondary entered Week 5 as the league’s top passing defense.

Heck, even Special Teams have continued to improve. Punter Sam Koch’s already exceptional season continued Sunday with four punts for 174 yards. Kicker Billy Cundiff connected on his only field goal attempt; but also added four touchbacks on five kickoffs. While neither the kick return or punt return units have created any points for the Ravens, the team’s kickoff coverage unit managed to force a much needed turnover (the only turnover the team forced in the game) when LB Jason Phillips leveled Broncos WR/KR Demaryius Thomas and Ravens S Ken Hamlin picked up Thomas’ fumble.

It’s been impressive in every aspect of the game. The team has been exactly as balanced as Rice mentioned, and it’s why they’ve shown themselves to be completely representative of their 4-1 record.

Thus far, they’ve done it without Gaither, Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, Special Teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo and speed receiver Donte’ Stallworth, all of whom they still expect to return. On Sunday, they did it without reserve DE Paul Kruger and reserve LB Tavares Gooden, both of whom the team also expects to return.

They might not be the best team in football. They’re likely still in need of an upgrade in their pass rush, and their offensive play-calling has still left something to be desired at times.

But at 4-1, they’re not a fluke. Instead, they’re legitimately amongst the best teams in the league, and very deserving of the title “Super Bowl contender” (which I will admit I stuck on them myself after the Week 4 win in the Steel City).

In Week 6, they’ll have another chance to prove how good they are when they visit Foxborough to face the New England Patriots; who they split a regular season and postseason series with last season at Gillette Stadium. Despite parting ways with star WR Randy Moss, the Patriots remain amongst the most significant organizations for a team to measure itself in the NFL.

When the Ravens beat the Pats in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season, it was considered an upset.

They’re good enough now that an encore performance would have to just be considered a win.

I understand that there are circumstances that meant Trevor Pryce might not dress anyway in the Steel City. I understand that the Ravens like what Ken Hamlin brings to the table defensively, in veteran leadership and most importantly on Special Teams.

I understand all of that.

But I will admit that I am uncomfortable with the entire situation. The NFL mandates that you keep a 53 man roster. I would imagine that if the Ravens COULD release Prince Miller they probably would have, but he has to stay on the roster for another week.

We’ll see how this all shakes out. If anything, it says the most about Trevor Pryce-who was once amongst the best defensive players in the AFC; but now finds himself as nothing more than a potential roster casualty.

Ray was made unavailable by Ravens staffers yesterday, but he had no noticeable limp when he was walking in the locker room and walking on the practice field. For now, I’ll lean towards the idea that he’s 60-40 to be on the field at Heinz Field. That number is trending up…

And honestly, I think the Ravens can survive without Ray Rice Sunday. I think they can still establish something with Willis McGahee, Le’Ron McClain and Jalen Parmele-even if they aren’t as dynamic as they would be with Rice.

-Cory Redding (concussion) and Tony Moll (hip) also didn’t practice Wednesday. We don’t know much yet about their status for Sunday, we’ll hope to find out more today.

-Speaking of which, Ryan Chell will be out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today (I’m moving…yes…in the monsoon) for Ravens practice. Make sure you’re tuned into AM1570, following on Twitter (@WNST) and checking WNST.net for updates. We are expected to hear from Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron, Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison and Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg following practice.

I think this is a bit of a no-brainer. They’re not selling out their boxes and club seats, so it would make sense to alter some of the club level to include a few restaurants and bars with a view of the field.

They don’t need to go crazy with this. When I was in Phoenix, Chase Field not only had a TGI Friday’s in left field (which was nice); but they also had a NIGHTCLUB in Center Field. That isn’t necessary.

But I wouldn’t mind there being something like a Hightopps in left field…where I could sit and enjoy 23-368 Mooseheads. You know, somewhere that I could look like this…

-Alfredo Simon had his suspension reduced from two; which he began serving last night. I’d have a reaction, but really…why???

-The Orioles finished the road portion of their schedule last night, they now return home to OPACY for the final series of the season. The Detroit Tigers are in town, and if the rain will allow, Jeremy Bonderman will face Jeremy Guthrie tonight; and first pitch on MASN will be at 7:05pm.

Did you miss Mike Waddell this morning with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? If you did, make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net to check it out! Other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (2-1) returned to work at 1 Winning Drive Wednesday to prepare for Sunday’s AFC North showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) at Heinz Field.

The Ravens made what appeared to be an explosive announcement this morning, as they terminated the contract of DE Trevor Pryce and re-signed S Ken Hamlin. However, head coach John Harbaugh didn’t believe the news to be so significant.

“Trevor’s a big part of what we’re doing here. We anticipate getting back” said Harbaugh. “It’s just what we had to do for now.” Harbaugh appeared aggravated by further questions regarding Pryce, repeating that the termination of his contract was “just a roster move.” He put Pryce questions to bed by exclaiming “Trevor’s a valuable part of this team and he’ll be back with us.”

Fellow Defensive Lineman Kelly Gregg shed some more light on the situation, saying the team told players Pryce “would be back next week.”

Harbaugh appeared happy to have Hamlin back, saying “we said before we wanted him back. He’s part of our team, he was a big part of it the first few weeks. He figures into our plans the rest of the year.”

Without Pryce Sunday in the Steel City, the Ravens are expected to rotate Defensive Linemen. Should he be available, Cory Redding (concussion) would be expected to start, with Brandon McKinney likely to be the top reserve. Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones and Lamar Divens are all possibilities to play as well, all three were inactive for the Ravens’ Week 3 win over the Cleveland Browns.

WINLESS IN PITTSBURGH: Since taking over as head coach and starting quarterback respectively in 2008, Harbaugh and Joe Flacco have gone 0-3 in trips to Pittsburgh. The team has lost three very close games during the stretch; including the 23-20 overtime loss in September of ’08 on Monday Night Football, the 23-14 loss in the AFC Championship Game in 2009 (which was 16-14 before a 4th quarter Troy Polamalu INT return TD) and a 23-20 loss in December 2009.

Flacco appears unfazed by his inability to win in Pittsburgh. “We’ve played up there three times, and we’ve played pretty good up there. Besides the playoff game, we’ve played really good up there. We just haven’t come up with wins.”

Flacco began his college career with the Pitt Panthers in 2004, but he played in only three games and did not make a start.

Flacco knows exactly what the Ravens need to do for him to be victorious at Heinz Field for the first time in his career. “We’ve got to finish games – and this is going to be another good game – and we’ll have to finish it in the fourth quarter when it comes down to the time to do that.”

Future Hall of Fame LB Ray Lewis said he was unaware that Harbaugh and Flacco had never won in Pittsburgh as Baltimore Ravens. “I don’t know if they’re worried about it…I won’t even bring it up.”

PRACTICE REPORT: RB Ray Rice (knee) came out to the field at the tail end of media availability during Wednesday’s practice; did not participate. Rice was also made unavailable to the media during the day. Rice walked both in the locker room and on the field without any sort of noticeable limp.

Redding and OL Tony Moll (leg) did not participate in practice either. WR Donte’ Stallworth (foot), LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder) did not participate, they have been ruled OUT for Sunday.

Jared Gaither (back) returned to practice on a limited basis for the first time since August 5th at McDaniel College during Training Camp. Gaither’s status for Sunday remains unknown. Also listed as limited Wednesday was LB Jarret Johnson (back). C Matt Birk (back), OL Chris Chester (back) and TE Todd Heap (shoulder) were full participants.

NOTES: Hear from Harbaugh, Flacco, Lewis, Gregg, Johnson, WR Anquan Boldin, LB Terrell Suggs, FB Le’Ron McClain and RB Willis McGahee NOW in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net……Boldin was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance Sunday against the Browns (8 catches, 142 yards, 3 TD’s). Boldin was dismissive of the honor, saying it “doesn’t matter”……When asked if he thought he’d be active Sunday against the Steelers, Cody responded “(You’d) have to ask the coaches…I think I’m ready.” When asked if he thought he had played well enough in practice to warrant seeing the field Sunday, Cody responded “I wouldn’t say that”……McKinney is scheduled to join Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST Thursday morning at 7:00am.

-G

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It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I get to start the week out with the “Greatest Song(s) of All Time This Week.” The NEW version of TGSOATTW goes to Eric Church (the song is called “Guys Like Me”) because I saw the dude play Sunday night at Merriweather Post Pavilion with my girl, you know her as “Boomer Sooner”. (Yes, I went to WPOC’s “Sunday in the Country”, live with it.) He’s pretty freaking good…

And the retro version is also “Sunday in the Country”-related, as it was covered by headliner Lady Antebellum. While they’re very talented and played a very enjoyable show-including a decent cover-Lady Antebellum certainly isn’t Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers…

Before we move on-let it be said that the great Free Fallin’ cover of all time was done by John Mayer…

This isn’t about Cam Cameron finding a way to get the ball to Derrick Mason more. It isn’t about Joe Flacco making sure the ball ends up in Mason’s hands. It certainly isn’t about whether or not Anquan Boldin is showing the proper respect to Mason as far as leadership in the locker room.

This is entirely up to Derrick Mason.

If Derrick Mason needs to be a #1 receiver for a good NFL team in order to be happy, he’s not going to be happy ever again. That time has come and gone. Frankly, he was only still the #1 receiver in Charm City by default in recent years-as there simply wasn’t anyone else in town.

Derrick has done a VERY good job over the years as the #1 receiver in Baltimore. Fans in this area will always be grateful for that. But he isn’t that guy anymore, nor will he be ever again barring some sort of terribly unfortunate injury.

If being a good receiver on a good team is enough for Derrick to be happy, he’ll be fine. If it isn’t, it could be a terribly long season.

But if Derrick thinks that by being a malcontent he’ll become the team’s top receiver again, he’s out of his mind.

And as I said yesterday on Twitter (follow us @WNST), if I’m the Ravens-I’m okay with that.

With no offense to Charlie Batch, but there’s nothing about him that would concern me if I was Greg Mattison. That doesn’t mean the Ravens don’t have to play good defense on Sunday, it just means he doesn’t present any sort of dynamic level that Ben Roethlisberger or Dennis Dixon could have.

Of course, Charlie Batch can still win football games-especially for a team as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers. We saw that Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s still capable even if he isn’t necessarily dynamic.

But he’s NOT the type of quarterback that should be beating the Baltimore Ravens. Doesn’t mean he won’t, just means he shouldn’t.

-The Ravens return to the practice field today at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills. We will be out there to report on Ray Rice, Cory Redding and EVERYTHING going on today. We’re expected to hear from John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco for sure; as well as conference calls with Mike Tomlin and Rashard Mendenhall. Make sure you’re tuned in to AM1570, following us on Twitter @WNST and checking WNST.net for updates.

-The Ravens HAVE terminated the contract of Trevor Pryce and re-signed safety Ken Hamlin. Stunning news despite the lack of production from Pryce this season. We’ll have more throughout the day on this developing story.

-Did you miss Jim Nantz (CBS) this morning with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Jim and Phil Simms are calling Ravens/Steelers Sunday; and Jim told us they’ll have Ravens/Patriots in Foxborough as well. Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net today if you missed it! Other things you can find in the Audio Vault include:

I know some folks are going to say “Felix Hernandez leads the American League in everything”…but I guess those people think 13-12 doesn’t matter. I think Hernandez belongs in the discussion, but I’m pretty sure his record would leave him third on my ballot behind Price and Jon Lester.

As far as the O’s are concerned, they got worked over by a really good pitcher last night. That’s going to happen to a lot of teams. If they win one more game this week they’ll avoid 100 losses. I think they’ll do that. Once they do, who cares what else happens?

By the way-spare me the “maybe it was good for the young players to see the Rays celebrate in front of them” stuff, MASN. Who freaking cares? Every player-old or young-wants to be able to pour champagne on their teammates. They don’t need to see it in front of them to understand that.

Brad Bergesen had been pitching really well for awhile until that last night. 5IP, 5ER, 6H, 3BB, 2K. Not good. Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters doubled; but that was about it. Tough night for Adam Jones-he went 0-4 with a pair of K’s.

You don’t want to look at the numbers. Trust me on that. Instead-look at Ancilla Tilia. We’ll still be here when you get back. (Thanks Macenstein!)

My gut feeling is that this is for the best. The longer Jamarr Robinson can’t play because he’s still recovering, the easier it is for Ralph Friedgen to move Danny O’Brien into the starting QB role long term.

Really, I don’t care WHO plays quarterback. Just don’t lose to the Blue Devils. Not again anyway…

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (1-1) continued work Thursday at 1 Winning Drive in preparation for Sunday’s AFC North showdown with the Cleveland Browns (0-2) at M&T Bank Stadium.

LB Tavares Gooden has already been ruled OUT for Sunday’s contest with what Head Coach John Harbaugh described as a dislocated shoulder. A report earlier in the week from National Football Post said Gooden would miss 4-6 weeks with the injury.

When asked by reporters Thursday about his timetable for return, Gooden was completely uncertain. “I’m not even sure what it is yet” said the linebacker. “The films were sent down to Miami-Coral Gables so Dr. (John) Uribe could look at them. I don’t really have an accurate time of when I will be back or how long this is going to take.”

When informed that Harbaugh had described the injury as a dislocated shoulder, Gooden said “I’m not sure. I need to get with my agent (Tony Fleming) and we’re going to discuss it and see what exactly is going on so I know how to prepare.” Gooden said he hoped he would know more about the results “by the end of the week.”

Second year LB Jason Phillips is expected to shoulder the load both defensively and on Special Teams while Gooden is sidelined. Gooden said he was “very confident” in Phillips’ abilities, describing him as a “very good linebacker.” Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison said Phillips was the “next man up”, and Phillips has gone “as hard as he can in every practice.”

WILLIAMS’ ROLE: CB Cary Williams returned to the team this week after a two week suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. When asked if Williams would be active defensively Sunday, Mattison responded “I don’t know if he will on the defensive part of it.” Mattison added “Most of our defensive players assume roles on Special Teams, I would hope he would be there in some sort of capacity that way.”

Mattison did not rule out the possibility that Williams could move over and play some safety, noting that Williams has played safety in the past. After cutting Ken veteran safety Hamlin Wednesday to make room for Williams on the 53 man roster, the Ravens are left with just Dawan Landry, Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura on the roster at the position. Likely future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed is eligible to return to the team after Week 6 as he is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. The team now has six cornerbacks on the active roster, as Williams joins Fabian Washington, Chris Carr, Ladarius Webb, Josh Wilson and Prince Miller.

PRACTICE NOTES: After not practicing Wednesday, WR Derrick Mason (knee) and FB Le’Ron McClain (shoulder) were each back out on the practice field Thursday. Both players were listed as limited participants. LB Dannell Ellerbe (knee) was also limited for a second straight day.

WR Donte’ Stallworth (foot) and Gooden have been ruled out for Sunday’s game, OT Jared Gaither did not participate in practice again Thursday but has not yet been officially ruled out.

Of note, after not returning any punts in Wednesday’s session; Zbikowski was again fielding punts Thursday. He has been the team’s primary returner in their first two games. Carr and Webb were also seen fielding punts.

NOTES: Hear from Cameron, Offensive Coordinator Greg Mattison, Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg, LB Ray Lewis, WR Anquan Boldin, Gooden and Suggs NOW in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net. OL Chris Chester joined Drew Forrester Friday morning on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, that conversation can be heard in the Audio Vault as well……The Ravens have added CB Danny Gorrer to their practice squad, again reaching the limit of eight players. Gorrer tried out for the team on Tuesday, he was with both the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints in the preseason. Gorrer played briefly for the St. Louis Rams at the end of the 2009 season. He is a 6’0″ corner in his second season out of Texas A&M……The Ravens will hold their final media availability for the week Friday, Harbaugh is scheduled to address the media following practice. The team will hold a closed walkthrough Saturday before Sunday’s game.

-G

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It’s a Happy Thursday for me because I ventured over to the “Get Spicy Nuggets” website yesterday and went ahead and made a reservation to try out the new product at Chick-Fil-A Nottingham Square next Tuesday…

The best part about the reservation? I got an email RIGHT BACK from the great Steve Pavlovsky telling me he was “excited” to have me come by that week. Love it!

I’m hoping the Spicy Nuggets will go well with the Christian Moerlein Golden Helles I picked up in Cincinnati last weekend…

I don’t have much positive to say about the Queen City, but this was definitely a good decision.

The only surprising thing about the Ken Hamlin decision is that we had heard from a few different sources that the player getting cut was more likely to be DT Lamar Divens.

But everything about cutting Ken Hamlin really does make sense. The word was that Hamlin was holding a roster spot just until (if?) Ed Reed comes back. The Ravens got value from Hamlin in the secondary and on Special Teams; but Cary Williams is expected to also give them some value in the secondary and on Special Teams.

There’s an argument that Derrick is better off NOT talking to the media right now as he can likely only be frustrated with his role in the offense and the offense in general. Instead of saying something silly about Cam Cameron, Joe Flacco or Anquan Boldin; it might be better for Mason to keep his mouth shut.

Now-it is CERTAINLY hypocritical of Mason to choose not to talk to reporters but still talk on WBAL on his radio show. That’s completely lame, and he should be reminded of that.

There’s NOTHING about having a player try to NOT play in order to make more money that makes sense to me. I understand the frustration with Gaither not being on the field, but I have NEVER doubted whether or not he was hurt.

You know what else would be foolish? NOT posting this picture of Lisa Morales. (Thanks DJMICK via Busted Coverage!)

-The Ravens are back on the practice field today at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills. We are expected to hear from Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron, Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison and Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg and LB Ray Lewis today as well. Make sure you’re following us on Twitter (@WNST) and tuned in throughout the day on AM1570.

-Did you miss Ravens OL Chris Chester this morning with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head on over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net to check it out. Some other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

-Make sure you check out Jay Trucker’s Brian Roberts blog today at WNST.net. I think it’s pretty interesting; as 2005 was the last time baseball fans in Baltimore had any level of excitement.

-The Orioles are off tonight, they head up to Canada (hopefully Adam Jones won’t have any trouble) to open a series with the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow night. Chris Tillman will face Brett Cecil in the first game; and Jeremy Guthrie will go for the Birds Saturday night. Otherwise, we don’t know much about the pitching matchups.

The best number Patrick points out in his blog? Maryland is 0-3 all time against the ‘Horns; and have been outscored 102-0 in the three games.

Yikes.

A lot could change between now and the trip to Austin in 2017 or the return at FedEx Field in DC in 2018. Will Muschamp will likely be the head coach for Texas; and who knows what will happen in College Park as they try to sort out Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin.

But I don’t think everything will change. I’m no betting man, but if the early line was Maryland (+28), I don’t know if I could bet the Terps.

This goofy blog is much too irreverent to do justice for this terrible loss. Brandon Looney (like so many of the young men who we’ve lost in Afghanistan and Iraq) won’t get the attention that a Pat Tillman did; but he deserves a great deal of honor.

We thank Brandon Looney for giving the greatest sacrifice, and we wish the best to his family, friends and everyone in the Midshipmen family.

Hamlin was active in both games this year and posted one tackle on special teams during the Ravens 15-10 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

It was a hard decision for the Ravens to make as a team, said Coach John Harbaugh in a press release.

“We have to do something, but it’s not going to be something we’re going to be happy about doing,” Harbaugh said. “And it will be something that we’ll have to take a view to Sunday on and also a view to the long term on, because we want to hold on to all the good players that we have.”

“Every guy we have right now is a very good player.”

Hamlin, an eighth-year veteran and former second round pick of the Seattle Seahawks out of Arkansas, was once the one of the highest paid safeties in the league after signing a six year, 38 million dollar deal with the Cowboys in 2007.

He made his only Pro Bowl in that 2007 season.

Hamlin struggled at times in the preseason, and with fellow safety Haruki Nakamura also coming back healthy from a leg injury, the Ravens felt like they no longer needed Hamlin’s services.

And with corner back Cary Williams returning from his two game suspension laid down by the NFL for violating the NFL’s conduct policy, the Ravens had to make a move to keep the roster at the legal 53-man limit.

The Ravens made moves yesterday on their practice squad, releasing tackle Devin Tyler and DB David Pender from their developmental squad. This morning, the Ravens then added former Oklahoma State tackle Brady Bond to the practice squad.

This left one spot on the practice squad, and with Williams returning, the Ravens could have been trying to leave a spot open to try and send a player from the 53-man roster down on the practice squad.

The expected move would have been to send DT Lamar Divens to the practice squad, but the Ravens would have to expose him to waivers first before trying to send him down.

But with the talent the Ravens have at defensive tackle, Divens would have likely been picked up by an opposing team, and they felt like Hamlin-a player who was available to all 32 NFL teams in June-was more expendable.

The Ravens secondary, which ranks second in the NFL, is now even more crowded at corner, but the Ravens with this move felt like they had enough support behind the starters at safety in Dawan Landry and Tom Zbikowski, and Williams was worth keeping on the team.

He will step in to provide depth behind starters Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington, and Harbaugh said having too many corners is a problem he wants to have.

“I’ve heard coaches say you can’t have too many corner backs, and it’s probably true. The thing it’s going to give us – and you throw the safeties in the mix… but those guys really give us a lot of flexibility with our packages.”

“So, we’re going to be able to put a lot of defensive backs on the field and run different pressure packages and different coverage packages that are going to be tough for people to identify. So, that will be a plus for us,” Harbaugh said in his press conference on Monday.

Williams grabbed two interceptions in the preseason and showed a lot of promise on special teams as well since the Ravens signed Williams off the Titans practice squad toward the end of the season last year.

Harbaugh said Williams has already been hard at work since he has been allowed to return to the facility and they will work on getting him on the same pace with the rest of the team.

“I think he was out there today, and we’ll get him into meetings and get him back on track,” Harbaugh said. “He went through all the training camp and the whole offseason, so I don’t think it will be too much, but it was good to see his face sitting in the room there.”

Tune into WNST and WNST.net as we continue to follow the Baltimore Ravens! For all your Baltimore Ravens news, keep listening because We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (1-1) returned to work at 1 Winning Drive Wednesday, looking forward to an AFC North showdown with the Cleveland Browns (0-2) Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

CB Cary Williams was on the practice field after being activated this week from a NFL suspension (personal conduct policy). To make room for Williams on the 53 man roster, General Manager Ozzie Newsome announced the team released veteran safety Ken Hamlin-who they had signed late in the offseason. By cutting Hamlin, the Ravens were able to keep younger “bubble” players like DT Lamar Divens, LB Jason Phillips, DE Paul Kruger and WR Marcus Smith. Hamlin was expendable given the team’s depth in the secondary and given the fact that Williams and recent CB signing Prince Miller both play Special Teams.

Phillips’ roster spot became safer when Head Coach John Harbaugh confirmed Wednesday LB Tavares Gooden would be “out for a few weeks” with a dislocated shoulder. Gooden suffered the injury in Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. National Football Post reported Tuesday the injury was expected to keep Gooden out for 4-6 weeks. Phillips was not active for either of the Ravens’ first two games of the season, but could now see playing time with Gooden hurt.

The Ravens added rookie OT Brady Bond (Oklahoma State) to their practice squad Wednesday, a day after releasing OT Devin Tyler and CB David Pender. The team now has seven spots filled on the practice squad, meaning one spot remains open. That spot could be filled by whoever is cut Wednesday afternoon, or it could be filled by a more mobile quarterback-as the team looks to prepare for mobile QB Seneca Wallace and wildcat threat WR Joshua Cribbs Sunday.

BROWNS QB QUESTIONS: The Browns’ QB situation is a bit up in the air. Starter Jake Delhomme missed last Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with an ankle injury. The team started backup Wallace instead. When asked about Delhomme’s status for Sunday, Browns coach Eric Mangini told Charm City media he was “optimistic” about the chances the former Carolina Panthers QB could play. Mangini added that Delhomme has “gotten better”, but that’s he’s “comfortable” either QB can run all of Cleveland’s offense.

When asked if he expected Delhomme to be available, Harbaugh responded simply, “I don’t know.” However, he was quick to point out that the Ravens will prepare for not only Delhomme and Wallace; but also for Cribbs, who the Browns often use in “wildcat” offense schemes. Knowing that his team will be playing in front of the friendly M&T Bank Stadium crowd for the first time this season, Harbaugh pleaded of Ravens fans “we need it to be especially loud when (you) see #16 at quarterback.”

PRACTICE UPDATE: WR Donte’ Stallworth (foot), OT Jared Gaither (back) and Gooden (shoulder) did not participate in practice Wednesday. Stallworth and Gooden have been ruled OUT for Sunday’s game; Gaither is not expected to play but has not been ruled out. Also amongst those not participating were WR Derrick Mason (knee) and FB Le’Ron McClain (shoulder). LB Dannell Ellerbe (knee) was listed as a limited participant in practice, he is not believed to be in jeopardy of missing Sunday’s game. TE Todd Heap (shoulder), LB Jarret Johnson (back), LB Jameel McClain (knee), DT Haloti Ngata (back), RB Ray Rice (ankle), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle) were all full participants. DT Terrence Cody (knee) was not listed on the injury report after missing the Ravens’ Week 2 loss.

S Tom Zbikowski did not field any punts during the Punt Return portion of Special Teams practice, which was open to the media. Instead, S Haruki Nakamura, CB Lardarius Webb and Miller fielded all punts. Zbikowski, CB Josh Wilson and RB Jalen Parmele (the team’s regular KR) fielded all kickoffs. Zbikowski has struggled in the PR role thus far this season, but the staff has not said publicly that the team will go in another direction.

NOTES: Hear from Harbaugh, QB Joe Flacco, Rice, Ngata, C Matt Birk, WR TJ Houshmandzadeh and Johnson NOW in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net……Flacco was dismissive of questions regarding fans’ negativity towards his performance in Sunday’s loss. “We all have bad games” said Flacco. “Nobody likes it. I don’t like it, the team doesn’t like it. You gotta get over it.”……WR Derrick Mason declined interview requests from reporters when approached in the locker room……The team announced rock band Buckcherry will perform at halftime of Sunday’s game……OL Chris Chester is scheduled to join Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” Thusrday morning at 7:15am on AM1570 WNST……The Ravens will practice again Thursday; LB Ray Lewis, OC Cam Cameron, DC Greg Mattison and Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg are scheduled for formal sessions with the media Thursday.

-G

Comments Off on Live From Owings Mills: Ravens Release Hamlin to Make Room for Williams

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because “Boomer Sooner” passed along a very interesting video to me last night. Apparently there is a new store in Times Square called “Pop-Tarts World”, and the folks over at Slate took the opportunity to think up some new Pop-Tarts recipes.

(You can see the video here or check my Facebook page-just search “Glenn Clark” and add the fella who has a picture of a duckpin bowling lane that says “I (heart) Glenn.”)

One of their new recipes is a “Pop-Tarts BLT.” That’s right, a BLT using Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts as bread. This is why America > anywhere else in the free world. It looks AMAZING…

Which goes back to my original thought regarding the entire McCann-Miller roster decision. Remember that thought? I believe it went something like…

“HUH????”

The issue here is clearly that the Ravens are concerned with Tom Zbikowski as punt returner. When they let Prince Miller go after the final cuts, they had decided that Miller wasn’t quite ready to be a cornerback at the NFL level. However, with Zbikowski REALLY hurting the Ravens in the 2nd half of their win over the New York Jets Monday night; they needed an insurance policy in the back.

Miller gives them that insurance policy.

The issue is that because they had to sign Miller off of the New England Patriots’ practice squad, they have to commit to keeping him on the active roster for three weeks. Therefore when Cary Williams returns from suspension next week, Miller can’t be the player that gets moved.

Of this group, I wouldn’t be particularly concerned about Lewis, Boldin or Johnson. These are guys that probably could have practiced fully had the team played on Sunday instead of taking the field for Monday Night Football.

Heap is at least somewhat concerning. John Harbaugh said Tuesday he thought Heap would return to practice Wednesday, but clearly that didn’t happen. Heap told reporters Wednesday he didn’t know if he’d be able to play Sunday. It doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern, but it certainly could affect how dynamic the Ravens are able to be offensively on Sunday.

Should Heap not be able to go, it will be a big opportunity for rookies Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta to make an impact.

Cody said he thought he could play on Sunday, but he needs to get back into game shape in order to be ready. Brandon McKinney especially played well in his place Monday night against the New York Jets. Should Cody play, it would be likely that Divens would be inactive.

If the Ravens REALLY need help on the D-Line, I would suggest they at least consider Shay Maria. (Thanks The Smoking Jacket!)

-Rex Snider wants Chad Ochocinco to fly him out to watch Sunday’s game at Paul Brown Stadium. He’s offered to dress up like Ines Sainz to try to convince #85 that he deserves the chance to go. You should Tweet Chad and tell him to let Rex make the trip. Something tells me Rex might not be quite the same as Ines…

-The Ravens return to practice today at 1 Winning Drive. We’ll be live from Owings Mills with all relevant notes from practice and media availability today. We’re scheduled to hear from coordinators Greg Mattison, Cam Cameron and Jerry Rosburg; as well as LB Ray Lewis.

Make sure you’re tuned in with Thyrl Nelson and Rex today for live Ravens Reports; follow us on Twitter (@WNST), and check things out at WNST.net.

What did you expect? A loss? These are the Birds we’re talking about! They don’t lose!

Hell-even I poked at the game for a minute last night. I probably would have poked at a few more minutes of the game-but the thing was over in about 40.

Brad Bergesen was outstanding last night. In fact, I think I’ve totally come around on Brad Bergesen. I was never sold on guaranteeing him a spot in the rotation next season-but I’m starting to think he joins Brian Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie as locks. Kevin Millwood clearly won’t be back, and I’m not sure Jake Arrieta has guaranteed himself a spot-although I’m not convinced Andy MacPhail will go out and get pitchers that are much better.

That is the million dollar question however. Will Andy MacPhail make the few moves necessary to give this team a REAL chance to win? We’ll find out.

–Great story at MLB.com today, as the Rochester Red Wings honored Orioles’ World Series-winning manager Joe Altobelli earlier this month with a statue in his honor. Altobelli is an icon in Rochester, but should be remembered fondly in Charm City as well. ”

-After wrapping their 3 game series with the Jays, the O’s are off today before opening up a weekend set with the New York Yankees tomorrow night at OPACY. Millwood, Guthrie and Chris Tillman are slated to go for the Birds, AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte are slated to go for the Bombers.

As Drew Forrester and I discussed this morning, I believe Ralph Friedgen is playing both QB’s due to the loyalty he has for his upperclassmen. Eventually, I think the Fridge will have to go with O’Brien-as I really believe O’Brien gives the Terrapins a better chance to win ACC games.

Did you miss West Virginia coach Bill Stewart previewing Saturday’s showdown against Maryland with Drew on “The Morning Reaction” this morning on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today here at WNST.net to check it out!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because it is “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” time!

My NEW “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” comes with an explanation. “Boomer Sooner” and I spent the weekend in New York, and as you’d expect from a gal who grew up in Texas and went to school in Oklahoma, she’s a fan of country music. I will admit to having a soft spot for the genre myself. With that in mind, this week’s winner is Eric Church’s “Smoke a Little Smoke.”

And the RETRO version of the “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” was decided Friday night-when the great John Popper and Blues Traveler took the stage at Power Plant Live. I mean, is there ANYTHING greater than “Run-Around”???

Clearly that’s good news. While Heap was MIGHTY impressive hauling in the first down pass from Joe Flacco on the Ravens’ penultimate possession Monday night at New Meadowlands Stadium, it could have been costly. Being labeled the top play in NFL Week 1 action by ESPNews probably wouldn’t have been as meaningful had Heap been unable to take the field Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

It’s important to keep Heap on the field because his presence alongside Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and TJ Houshmandzadeh forces the Bengals to stay honest with their outstanding CB’s (Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph). The matchup problem is exactly what the Ravens need.

Apparently the Ravens had decided back around the Washington Redskins preseason game that Nakamura would be able to handle the role. That helps explain (at least to some extent) why the team had no trouble parting ways with CB Travis Fisher, and why they felt the need to hang on to veteran S Ken Hamlin.

Nakamura had no troubles against Mark Sanchez and the Jets Monday night, but he really wasn’t tested. I feel as though Wilson or Webb would be better long-term options, but the Ravens clearly appear to have at least some sort of comfort level with Nakamura.

It will be especially interesting to see how Cary Williams fits into this mix when he returns. He’s not really the best suited to cover slot receivers, but appeared to earn real playing time with his performance in the preseason.

-Harbaugh told the media yesterday that he had no update on rookie LB Sergio Kindle, adding he “wished” he did. He also said he thought Webb had a chance to play against the Jets, and thinks he’ll have a chance to play Sunday as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL.

-The Ravens return to practice today in Owings Mills as they prepare for Sunday afternoon. We’ll be live at 1 Winning Drive with coverage throughout the day on AM1570 WNST, on Twitter (@WNST), and at WNST.net. Harbaugh, Flacco, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Derrick Mason and others are expected to address the media this morning; and Marvin Lewis and Ochocinco are scheduled to hold conference calls with the Baltimore media this afternoon.

It’s goofy to even talk about-but if the Birds were to face the Minnesota Twins in a 7 game series starting tomorrow; does anyone else get the feeling Buck Showalter’s team would figure out a way to win?

I don’t just want the Buck Showalter t-shirt they were giving away last night, I want a Buck Showalter Fathead!

I feel like a broken record though-as I can’t think of anything else to say besides “why couldn’t this have happened when games mattered???”

I wasn’t watching again last night. Not because I don’t love the Orioles, but because the games just don’t matter. I played kickball last night, enjoyed a medium Angel Food from Smoothie King for dinner, then watched the MTV Video Music Awards (or fast-forwarded through them) on DVR. Eminem was pretty good…

-The Orioles will try to finish off a sweep of the Jays tonight; first pitch from The Yard is at 7:05pm, you can see it on MASN2. Phenom Kyle Drabeck makes his first career start for Toronto, he’ll face Brad Bergesen.

-Did you miss SiriusXM MLB Network Radio analyst and former Catonsville pitcher Jeff Nelson on “The Morning Reaction” with Drew Forrester this morning? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault at WNST.net today to check it out. Other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

Dan Graziano (Fanhouse)-who was in attendance for the Monday Night Football contest in East Rutherford and chatted with Drew about the Ravens and Jets Wednesday morning

-Within the WVU series, the Terps will host back to back games at Byrd Stadium in 2013 & 2014; they’ll visit Morgantown back to back in 2015 & 2016

-Rob Stone and former Georgia Bulldogs/Cincinnati Bengals LB David Pollack will call Maryland/WVU this Saturday for ESPNU.

-Maryland will be without LB Marcus Whitfield for the rest of the year due to a knee injury. TE Will Yeatman is expected to be ready to return from a broken finger Saturday.

-Maryland and Florida International will kick off at 12pm next Saturday (September 25) in College Park. The game can be seen on ESPNU. It isn’t a great option, but it’s better than the alternative-which is no TV at all. If Maryland keeps winning, they might see some better TV options.

That’s a lot of information for one day. If I were you, I’d consider making a donation to the “keep Patrick Stevens working fund” over at D1scourse…

I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed Pam’s involvement with the community and her partnership with this event since its inception. I’ve been thrilled while watching events with the likes of Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Andy Roddick. Even last year’s event with Melanie Oudin, John Isner and the Bryan Brothers was a lot of fun.

It’s a shame American tennis has fallen off the map. It’s a shame 1st Mariner Arena is an absolute dump and folks in general don’t want to attend events there. It’s a shame Pam’s life has had twists and turns and she’s been taken to California.

I hope there will be future tennis events in Baltimore. I hope Pam Shriver will be involved.

Trice Capra is a natural fit to be involved with the last event, but there’s a certain someone else I’m also hoping to see…

Or Andy Roddick. Either one.
And finally, I leave you with this…

Congratulations to Sasho Cirovski’s Maryland soccer team for a 3-0 win over the Loyola Greyhounds last night at Ridley Athletic Complex. To celebrate, here’s DK…